Ghost / Nature / Story

Ghosts in The Rice Fields

by

In the heart of Ziro is a place called Khotiir, once an ancient route for commuters. With modernization, asphalt roads began to replace the narrow winding paths. Despite this, pine trees, bamboo groves, and rice fields still cloak most of the area. Occasionally, news of night travellers assaulted by uyi (spirits) in Khotiir would surface around the small town of Ziro. Reports of cars breaking down and battery torches losing their power at the stroke of midnight were a common phenomenon in Khotiir.

It was the year 1989 when the newlywed, Tabyo and his wife Rinyo paid a visit to an aunt in Hari village. After several hours of hobnobbing, Tabyo glanced at his watch. It was eight past five. He cued Rinyo that it was time to leave. With a casual ‘kii ah’ (ok then) they set out for home.

They lived a few miles away from the village and the way to get there was through Khotiir. In the absence of street lights, night travellers either used torches or leaned on the mercy of the moonlight. Without a torch, Tabyo and Rinyo began to traverse through the lonely road depending on the dim moonlight to show them the way. The trees and the rice fields were barely visible.

As they ventured deeper into Khotiir, an unfriendly ague loomed in the air. Rinyo crossed her arms and shrunk a bit. Suddenly, Tabyo heard what seemed like the sound of feet trudging through the rice fields. He glanced over Rinyo’s shoulders but saw nothing, except for the sound of unseen footsteps. A cold sensation shot down Tabyo’s spine, his muscles grew tense, hairs stood on the back of his neck, and his mouth dry, unwilling to budge open. He quickly pulled Rinyo to his side and hastened his pace trying to outpace the mysterious footsteps, yet it seemed to follow them relentlessly. 

After what felt like an eternity, Tabyo could finally see the distant lights of the town, and the footsteps fading away as they left the rice fields behind.

Relieved, Tabyo turned to Rinyo and asked, “Did you hear the footsteps?”

Rinyo’s face was clear beneath the moon’s glow, her grin stretching wide with bloodshot eyes. “What footsteps?”, she chuckled.

109 thoughts on “Ghosts in The Rice Fields”

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